farrell: and as long as jerry was doing something new, it was easier to go on. shortly after mr. balanchine died, jerry said "suzanne, i have an idea about a ballet. would you be interested in working with me?" narrator: the ballet, whose centerpiece was a striking duet for a young girl and the figure of death, was set to alban berg's "violin concerto." robbins: alban berg had a very deep affection for the daughter of friends of his and at 18 she, unfortunately contracted polio and after very severe suffering, died from it and he wrote this piece in memory of her. at one moment, you can hear something which appeals to you tremendously because what's going on in your life is ready for that to hit you. maybe it was just something he had to let fall from him, that story, his own story, but he used this story to -- to let it fall away. robbins: i think, finally the ballet should not be connected to one person, but to the sense of losing people and the struggles that they go through when they are ill and die, and hopefully, arrive at a peace for themselves. narrator: robbins was tryin